Carrier rod driving mechanism for knitting machines



Sept. 14, 1954 C. R FEGLEY 2,588,861

CARRIER ROD DRIVING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 1, 1952 's sheets-sheet 1 Sept. 14, 1954 c. R. FEGLEY 2,688,861

CARRIER ROD DRIVING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Feb. l, 19.52 Qi 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Sept. 14, 1954 c. R. FEGLi-:Y 2,588,851

CARRIER ROD DRIVING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Feb. l, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 J L )k w www www@ @www J w www /f// f// j@ im 156 ll l@ Mii INVENTOR Cil/ares .le

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 14, 1954 CARRIER ROD DRIVING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Charles R. Fegley, Laureldale, Pa., assignor to Textile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 1, 1952, Serial No. 269,499

8 Claims.

1 This invention relates to yarn carrier rod drive mechanism for full-fashioned knitting machines and more particularly to a positive drive means supplementing the conventional friction drive for the carrier rods of such machines.

In full-fashioned knitting machines, yarn is fed to the needles by one or more yarn carriers, the main carrier or carriers being reciprocated in opposite directions across the full width of the fabric knitted. The main carriers are carried on rods which are driven by friction boxes having frictional engagement with a friction rod driven at full speed. The limit of movement of the main yarn carrier rods and friction boxes is controlled by end stops operated by usual narrowing head devices of the machine. The full speed friction rod has a greater travel than the friction boxes and during the latter portion of said travel, the rod slides through the friction boxes while the boxes are stationary. This relative sliding movement causes wear between the parts resulting in a relative slipping movement between the friction rod and boxes, particularly at the start of the movement of the boxes. However, it is essential that the friction boxes start with the friction rod in order to maintain a predetermined operating relation between the boxes and a shock absorber mechanism, the latter acting to reduce or entirely eliminate the shock of impact of the carrier rods and friction boxes against their respective end stops. Therefore, the frictional engagement between the boxes and friction rod must be very strong, resulting in further wear between the parts and requiring more frequent adjustments to maintain said pre- 1 determined operating relationship.

Heretofore, in order to prevent slippage of the friction box on the friction rod at the start of a rreciprocating movement, a drive means, connected to the shock absorber mechanism, was provided for positively accelerating the friction boxesV and carrier rods associated therewith to full speed. This drive means while overcoming the initial slipping of the friction boxes on the friction rod was only effective in its operation to a width slightly less than the narrowest part or toe width of a stocking fabric for a conventional looped toe stocking. However, the present trend is to the production of stockings having the toe narrowed to substantially a point thereby permitting the toe to be closed by the usual back seam and eliminating the necessity of a separate looping operation as heretofore.

Itis therefore an object of the invention to provide a positive drive means for initiating the reciprocating movement of a friction box to drive a yarn carrier rod in the production of a stocking blank knitted substantially to a point.

Another object of the invention is to provide a positive means for starting the reciprocating movement of a friction box to drive a yarn carrier which is connected to a shock absorber means in such manner that the desired timing of the parts is maintained.

A further object of the invention is to provide means to inactivate the positive drive means with respect to the friction box whereby the friction box may continue to drive a yarn carrier rod within the effective limits of movement of the positive driving means.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention resides in the novel elements, features of construction and cooperation of parts in cooperative relationship, as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the invention as applied to a portion of a full-fashioned knitting machine and as seen from the front thereof;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the mechanism looking in the direction of the arrows 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detailed View of certain of the parts of Fig. 4 looking from the left of said figure.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line l-'i of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 3 8 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is an elevational View taken substantially on the line and looking in the direction of the arrows 9-9 of Fig. 4;

Fig. l0 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 1l is a view partly in elevation and partly in section and taken substantially `on the line II-II of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 10, certain parts being omitted in order to more clearly show others; and

Fig, 13 is a diagrammatic view showing the relative positions of the parts according to the invention at the start of a driving movement of a yarn carrier rod.

In the drawings and description, only the means necessary to a complete understanding of the invention are speciically set forth; further information as to. the Construction'. and' operation of other relatedi usual'and well knownknitting machine elements, etc., may be found in one or more 0f the following publications of the Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pa.:

The Reading Full-Fashioned Knittingldachine Parts Catalog, published in 1940, the supplement thereto, publishedin- 1940, entitled The Reading High Production Full#Fashioned Knitting Machine, and the Reading Full-Fashionedv Knitting Machine Parts Catalog. published in 1947.

The apparatus shown in the drawings-includes in addition to the usuali. carrier rods, end stops therefore, frictionbo-x. andA friction rod; a driving bar connected-to and driven at the same speed. as the friction rod and av driving headl mounted. on the driving bar. The` driving head is provided with means for engaging thehead to the driving bar in a manner toy prevent substantial. slippage between the bar and. thehead.. Means are provided to disengagefthe driving head from thebar, such disengaging means being. connected to a shock absorber meanswhich. operates the disengaging means to retardthe speed of and. stopthe driving head. The. disengaging and stop means comprises a separate device for. controlling the movement of the driving` head in opposite directions, the separate devices being connected to the carrier rod end stopsifor movement toward each other as the widthof a. fabricis reduced A. connection between the. driving. head. and the friction box serves to accelerate. the friction box. and carrier rod to full speed. near the start of a. reciprocating movement and toslow the. box and rod down near the endA of thereciprocation toreduce or to prevent the shockof impact against theend stops. This arrangement is the same as that shown and described in4v detaili in. the patent of Gottlob Bitzer et al., No. 2,637.,183issued 5, 1953, and of which. I am. a co-inventor.

The apparatus within the invention includes means to. discontinue4 both. the. accelerating, and shock absorbing action of the driving head on the friction box. For this purpose the driving head is provided: with; a portion movable out of the path of the stop devices for the driving head to permit the continued, movement of the stop devices and the-carrier rod endstopstoward each other. During this` continued movement of the stops toward eachother the` friction rodbecornes the sole driving. meansv for the; friction box and carrier rod. However, the. reciprocating movement of the. friction box at, this time ist considerably less than the movement necessary to accelerate the friction rod to. full speed. Therefore, the friction box and carrier rodv only. attain a fraction of the normal full speed, thereby eliminating the necessity of further reducing their speed before engaging the end stops.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3'of the drawings, parts of a usual full-fashioned knitting machine are shown including a high cr full speed friction rod 25 and a slow speed friction rod 26. A crosshead 29, xed to the rod 25, isv connected by a link Sii to a coulier arm 3| forming a part of the usual coulier mechanism of the machine (not shown) for driving the rod 25. Friction boxes such as S8 are carried on and frictionally driven by the friciii) tion rods 25 and 2G in the usual manner, said boxes 3S being connected to carrier rods 3Q, one

vhich is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 13, to reciprocate them between end stops di! carried on nuts 4I. The nuts ii are carried on threaded spindles 44 which are turned by means (not shown) to move the nuts towardv and away from each other'to narrow and widen stocking fabrics in the usual manner.

To facilitate movement of the friction box 38 with the friction rod 25 and to prevent relative movement between the box and friction rod at the start of a reciprocating movement of the rod, additional driving means is shown. Such means includes brackets Lic secured to the friction rod 25 and toa driving member or bar (Figs. l, 2, 8 and 4) thebar thereby being moved at the same speed as the friction rod 25. Mounted on the driving bar [s6 for movement therewith is a driving head 49 having releasable means (Fig. 5) for engaging and disengaging,they driving heed toand fromvthe driving bar.. Said releasable means com.- prises a block 5| which is secured in a recess in the driving head i5 in contact with the driving bar 46. Block 5I. is provided with recesses 5.4 and open to the underside of bar shown in Fig. o. Thesnrfaces forming the bottom. walls. of recesses 5E; and are inclined downwardly t0- ward each other andthe center ofv the head (l5). Each recess is. provided with a roller element. 56 which, through gravity, tends to move down the inclined surfaces away from the driving bar 4.5 and this movement is opposed by spring pressed plunger-s 59. The plungers normally'. tend. to press the rollers into contact with both the. bar 4E and the inclined bottom walls of J' 5d and 55. Therefore,.as driving bar staitsrto move either to the right or left,.as v d in 5, the contact between the. one roller, the inclined surface in the corresponding recess ci. the block and the bar causes the roller to be wedged tightly be.- tween the bar and block the ry .firmly but releasably engaging the head lZ--i t the bar. With the part so engaged the head adapted to positively accelerate one or more friction boxes and the carrier connected tb roto. inthe manner hereinafter set forth. se. ie movement of the bar 46. causes the other aller 5G to ride down the inclined surface to disengage said other roller from the bar riti. Ble l; 5! is also provided with tappet members b: een ends f the blockand rollers which act to disengage the rollers and therefore the head (it from the bar 4t. Means for operating the tappet members 60 alsoformsinthe mechanism shown herein, a part of the means for retarding the movement of the head 42. and friction boxes 3B. as hereinafter set forth.

Means for transmitting an accelerating force from the driving head 49 to one or more friction boxes 38 includes a rod GI having a member 64 secured thereto, as shown. in Fig. 8. The member (i4 is connected to head 49 by means of a pin 65 which is provided with intentional weak spots (Fig. 7). easily. sheared when movement of either the driving head 49 or rod GI is obstructed in relation to they other. Thev rod 6I carries blocks or collars 66 and Gl between which is positioned a tongue 69 of one of the friction boxes 38, as shown in Fig. I3. The tongue 69 is diagrammatically shown as a part of the friction box. However, in practice the tongue is pivoted on the box whereby it is movable from an active position between the collars 66 and 61 to an inactive position above the path of the collars to prevent interference between the tongue and the collars when the friction box 38 is disconnected from the friction rod 25. As shown in Fig. 13, the collars 66 and 61 are positioned on the rod 6| to provide a slight clearance between one or the other of the collars and the tongue 59. The slight clearance between one or the other of the collars 66 and 61 and tongue 69 permits the auxiliary friction box |||l to maintain pressure against the rod 6| to hold the rod at the limit of its movement in either direction until the direction of its movement is reversed as more fully set forth in said Patent No. 2,673,183.

As heretofore set forth, a carrier rod 39 is driven by a friction box 38 between end stops 40 carried on the nuts 4|. In order to reduce the pressure exerted by a friction box 39 on its carrier rod after the carrier rod has engaged its end stop and while the friction rod 25 continues to slip through the box, the tongue 69 of the box engages stops 10 and (Fig. 13). Stops 10 and 1| are carried on rods or bars 'I4 and 15, respectively, rod 'I4 being connected to the left nut 4| and rod being connected to the right nut. The tongue 69 is adapted to engage one of stops l0 or Il at the same instant that the carrier rod 39 engages its end stop 40.

The usual full-fashioned knitting machine also includes shock absorbing means, for reducing the impact of the carrier rods 39 against the end stops 49 to eliminate the noise and other deleterious effects caused when the carrier rods engage the end stops at full speed. In the present instance, the shock absorbing means is combined with the driving head 49 forming part of the friction box accelerating means disclosed herein. The means shown for this purpose also includes means for disengaging the roller elements 56 of the driving head from the driving Abar 46. The means shown for disengaging the roller elements 5B comprises blocks 'I5 and (Figs. 1, 2 and 13) which are slidably mounted on a bar 'i9 and positioned at opposite ends of the path of movement of driving head 49. The positions of blocks 1E and are controlled by the rods 'I4 and '15, respectively, which are connected to the end stops 4| as previously explained, the blocks 16 and being connected to the rods 14 and 15 as hereinafter set forth. The shock absorbing or retarding action of the blocks 76 and is governed by a cam 89 which is reciprocated at approximately half the speed of the bar 46 and the friction rod 25. The means for reciprocating the cam 89 includes a head 8| secured to said cam and slidably mounted on a bar 84, the head Eli being connected by a link 85 to a rocker arm 39 (Fig. 1) which is in turn connected to the coulier mechanism in the usual manner.

The cam 89 has a low control portion 89 and high end portions 90 connected to the low portion by inclined portions 9| `Cam 99 controls blocks 76 and TI by lever systems 94 `which are the same except that one is reversed with respect to the other. Each of the lever systems is connected to block 'I6 or by means of a link 95 (Fig. l) which is pivoted to a lever 99 fixed to one end of a shaft 99. The shafts are journalled in a left hand head or carriage |00 or a right hand head or carriage |9| slidably mounted on a bar |94 xed to the frame of the machine. The other end of each shaft 99 has fixed thereto one end of a lever |95, the other end of which rotatably carries a cam follower |06 for engagement with the cam 8U. When a cam follower |06 is on a high portion of the cam 80, the block 76 or 'l1 is moved toward the driving head 49. As the cam 8D and driving head 49 moves toward the right, the follower |95 moves down the inclined portion 9|, connecting the high and low portions and 89, respectively, and thereby moves the block Tl in the same direction as the driving head but at a slower speed than said driving head. Shortly after the block 11 starts moving, the right tappet member 60 (Fig. 5) in the driving head 49 overtakes and engages a contact screw |99 adjustably carried in the block ll. As the driving head 49 continues to move at a faster speed than the block the tappet 69 forces the right roller element to the left out of wedging position to disengage the driving head 49 from the driving bar 46. Immediately upon release of the right roller 60, the driving head 49 is carried along by the rod 6| which is driven at this time by an auxiliary friction box H9 (Fig. 13) on the friction rod 25.

The auxiliary friction box ||9 is connected to the rod 6| by the collar 61 and a collar ||I on the rod which are positioned at opposite sides of and in juxtaposed relation to a tongue H4 on the auxiliary friction box ||0 so as to prevent lost motion between the box and the rod. The driving head 49 continues to move at a faster speed than the block Tl through the auxiliary friction box Hl until the driving head engages a stop screw ||5 also adjustably carried in the block ll after which the driving head is carried along by the box ||0 at the speed of the block. As the speed of the block is reduced,`the vspeed of the rod 6| and the auxiliary friction 'box` is also reduced and the friction box 38 which is still moving with and at the same speed as the friction rod 25, overtakes and engages the collar 6E, thereby reducing the speed of the box 38 to that of the rod 6|.

Further, as follower |96 continues to move down the inclined portion 9| of the cam 3), shaft 99 and levers 99 and |95 gradually turn in the counterclockwise direction, thereby gradually reducing the speed of the block 7l, the driving head 49, the rod 9|, friction boxes 33 and lli! and the carrier rod 39. The reduction in speed continues as the follower |96 approaches the low portion, so that the head 49, friction box 39 and the carrier rod 39 is moving very slowly when the tongue 99 of the box 39 engages the stop ll and the carrier rod engages its end stop 4|). The relationship is the same between the driving head 49, block 76 and stop 'i9 when the driving head moves toward the left and approaches the block 16.

As shown in Fig. 3, the rod 'i4 is connected to the carriage |539 by means of a bracket ||5 and the carriage is connected to the block 16 by means including a link and lever 96. The rod 15 is connected to the carriage lill by a bracket (not shown) and the carriage lill is connected to the block 'Il' by means including a link 95 and lever 99, as more fully shown and described in said Patent No. 2,637,183.

As hereinbefore set forth, the rods 'F4 and l5 are connected to and move with the left and right nuts 4|, respectively, during fashioning movements of the machine. Movement of the rods "i4 and l5, also move the stops l and 1| for the friction box 33 and the blocks '|15 and Tl. Therefore, as the fabric is narrowed, the nuts 4| are gradually moved toward each other, which moves the stops lil and ll and the blocks i6 and 'Il toward each other to reduce the stroke ofy the'v friction box 38. and the driving head 49, respectively. Continued. movement of the nuts 4| toward each other will cause the contact screws |59 in blocks '|6 and 'l1 to engage the left and rightv tap-pet members G5 to maintain both roller elements 55 disengaged from the driving bar 46'. Continued movement of the blocks. 1.6 and 1:7 toward each other would also cause the stopscrews ||5 carried in the blocks 'i0v and 'H- to contact opposite ends of the driving head 49.which would prevent further movement of theblocks and nuts toward each other. Therefore, meansA must be provided to permit continued movement of the blocks I5 and 'l toward each other to reduce the fabric to its narrowest; width.

The means for this purpose includes a member I9 fixed to a shaft |20 pivoted inthe driving head 49, as shown in Figs. 4, 6 and Y. The member ||9 is provided with arms i2| and |24 the inner facing; surfaces of which engage a portion of the driving head 49 (Fig. 6). The outer ends of the, arms |2| and |24 are normally biased into alignment with the stop screws |15 in the blocks 'l5 and 1'?, respectively, by a spring |25, this position of the arms being determined by-v enga-gement of a projection. i212? on the arm |2| with a: surface |30 on the driving headv 45V (Fig. 4). The member H9 rotatably carries a follower |3| which is adapted to be engaged by a cam portionl |34 of a link |35 to turn the member ||9 clockwise to move the arms |2| and |24 out of the path of the stop screws H5, as shown inv Fig. 4. One end of link |55 is pivoted at |36l to a lever |39 and the other end of the link is pivoted at |45 to a lever |4|, as shown in Figs. 9` and 10. Levers |55 and iti are pivotally carried on pins |44 and |45, respectively, (Figs. 9, 10 and 12) fixed in a bracket |45 slidably carried on the bar |04. The bracket |46 is normally biased to the right, as viewed in Fig. 9, against a pin |48 in the bar |04, by means of a spring |49, one end of which is connected to the bracket and the other end to said pin.

The lever |39 is provided with a cam member |55 which is adapted to engage a cam member |5| fixed on a bracket |54 also slidably carried on the bar |04'. Bracket |54 is normally biased to the left, as viewedr in Fig. 9, against a pin |55 in the bar |04, by a spring |56 which is connected between the bracket |54 and pin |55.

At the start of a stocking knitting operation, the nuts 4|, stops |01 and and carriages |00 and |0| are spaced the greatest distance from each other. At this time the brackets |43 and |54 are biased against the pins |48 and |55, respectively, and the cam member |50 on lever |39 is positioned. to the left of cam member |5| on bracket |54. Also at this time, the levers |39 and |4|, the link |35 and cam member |50 is biased to the left, as viewed in Fig. l1, by a spring |59, the left position of the part being determined by engagement of a stop screw |55 with a portion |6| of pin |44 (Fig. 10). The portion |6| of pin |44 also acts as an anchor for one end of the spring |59, the other end of the spring being connected to the lever |4|. As the fabric is narrowed the nuts 4| and carriages |00 and |0| are moved closer to each other and the stop screws ||5 are moved closer to the arms |2| and |24 on the driving head 49. Just prior to the point at which the stocking is narrowed to simultaneously engage the screws ||5 with the ends of arms |2| and |24, the carriage |00v engages the bracket |54 andthe carriage |9| engages the bracket |46. As the carriages |00 and |0| continue to move toward each other, the brackets |43 and |54 are also moved toward each other to engage the high surfaces of cam members and |5|, thereby movingr the levers |39|4| and the link |35 to the right to the position of- Figs. 4 and 11. rEhe follower |3| on member |9, being positioned in the path of the cam portion |34 of link |35, is engaged and turns the member ||9 clockwise to the position of Fig. 4, thereby moving the ends of arms |2| and |24 from the path of stop screws ||5 in the blocks 16 and l1. Continued movement of the blocks 16 and 11 toward each other is therefore unobstructed.

When the member I9 is in its inactive position of Fig. 4, the screws |09 in blocks 16 and 'H' are in engagement withl both tappet members 50, thereby holding the roller elements 56 disengaged from the driving bar 45. As narrowing of the fabric continues, the continued movement of the contact screws |09 toward each other only acts to further depress the plungers through the tappet members 69 and roller elements 55. Also at` this time the carrier rods 59 are driven by the friction box 3B and the driving head 49 and rod 6| is reciprocated by the auxiliary friction box ||0. As both friction boxes 38 and ||0 are driven by the friction rod 25 at the same speed, the rod 6| no longer acts to retard the friction box 33. However, as the stroke of the carrier rod 39 is very short and is actually started and completed in the first or slowest part of the accelerating movement of the friction rod 25, the carrier rod engages the end stops 45 with a reduced impact, thus requiring no further shocking or retarding action. Also, when the member ||9 is in inactive position, the reciprocating movement of the driving head 49 is controlled by engagement of either collar 53 or G7 with the tongue -59 of thefriotion box 38.

Of course, the improvements specifically shown and described, by which the above described` results are obtained, can be changed' and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, the combination with a friction rod, yarn carrier rods and a box having frictional engagement with said friction rodA for reciprocating said yarn carrier rods, of a driving head, means connected to said driving head for transmitting a driving force from said driving head to said box, stop means for said driving head and means for inactivating said stop means relative to said driving head.

2. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, the combination with a friction rod, yarn carrier rods and a box having friotional engagement with said friction rod for reciprocating said yarn carrier rods, of a driving head, means connected to said driving head for transmitting a driving force from said driving head to said box, stop means for said driving head, contact means on said driving head normally positioned to be engaged by said stop means and means for moving said Contact means and stop means to inactive position relative to each other.

3. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, the combination with a friction rod, yarn carrier rods, a friction box on said friction rod for reciprocating said yarn carrier rods and movable end stops for said yarn carrier rods and friction box, of a driving head, means connected to said driving head for transmitting a driving force from said driving head to said friction box, stop devices for said driving head, contact means on said driving head normally in an active position to engage said stop devices to limit the reciprocating movement of said driving head and means controlled by the position of said end stops for determining the active and inactive positions of said contact means relative to said stop devices.

4. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, the combination with a friction rod, yarn carrier rods, a friction box on said friction rod for reciprocating said yarn carrier rods and end stops movable toward each other for controlling the reciprocating movement of said carrier rods and friction box, of a driving head, means connected to said driving head for transmitting a driving force from said driving head to said friction box, stop means for said driving head, contact means on said driving head normally in position to engage said stop means to limit the reciprocating movement of said driving head, and means controlled through the movement of said end stops toward each other for moving said contact means to inactive position relative to said stop means.

5. In a knitting machine having a friction rod, yarn carrier rods, a box having frictional engagement with said friction rod for reciprocating said yarn carrier rods, a driving head, means for reciprocating said driving head, means connected to said driving head fortransmitting a driving force from said driving head to said box, stop devices for said driving head, said Stop devices being movable toward each other to vary the reciprocating movement of said driving head, contact means on said driving head normally positioned to engage said stop devices during reciprocating movements of said driving head, and means controlled through the movement of said stop devices toward each other for moving said .contact means to inactive positions relative to said stop devices.

6. In a, knitting machine having a friction rod, yarn carrier rods, a friction box on said friction rod for reciprocating said yarn carrier rods, end stops movable toward each other for said carrier rods and friction box, a driving head, means connecting said driving head for transmitting a driving force from said `driving head to said friction box, stop devices for said driving head, means connecting said stop devices to said end stops, contact means on said driving head normally positioned to be engaged by said stop devices and cam means operated by the movement of said end stops toward each other for moving said contact means to inactive position relative to said stop devices.

7. In a knitting machine having a friction rod, yarn carrier rods, a friction box on said friction rod for reciprocating said yarn carrier rods, end stops for said carrier rods and friction box, a driving head, means connected to said driving head for transmitting a driving force from said driving head to said friction box in addition to the driving force exerted by said friction rod on said friction box, stop devices for said driving head and means connecting said stop devices to said end stops, a pivoted member on said driving head normally positioned to be engaged by said stop devices, a cam member, a second cam member normally disengaged from said first cam member and connections between said first and second cam members and said end stops whereby said first and second cam members are moved into engagement as said end stops are moved toward each other to move said pivoted member to inactive position relative to said stop devices.

8. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a friction rod, yarn carrier rods, a friction box on and driven by said friction rod for reciprocating said carrier rods, end stops for said carrier rods and friction box, said end stops being movable toward each other to reduce the reciprocating movement of said carrier rods and friction box, a driving head, means connected to said driving head for transmitting a driving force from said driving head to said friction box in addition to the driving force exerted by said friction rod on said friction box, stop devices for said driving head, a bar, connecting means between said end stops and stop devices slidable on said bar, said connecting means being adapted to move said stop devices toward each other with said end stops, a pivoted member on said driving head normally in position for engagement by said end stop devices, a first cam slidable on said bar, a second cam slidable on said bar, said first and second cams being moved into engagement by said connecting means to move said pivoted member to inactive position relative to said stop devices.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,031,300 Bitzer Feb. 18, 1936 2,107,221 Start Feb. 1, 1938 2,127,449 Richter Aug. 16, 1938 2,273,301 Tuchscherer Feb. 17, 1942 

